Will 14 wk old DP roos meat be similar amount to grocery cornish hen?

[DanIndiana]

I know everyone says if you do them too young they're too bony, but how bad is it? I very much prefer the smaller store birds. Even if bony, at what age would I get the same amount of meat as a store cornish hen (usually 22 oz). I was hoping the meat itself would be more tender at the younger age. I bought a plucker and I know I'm going to be impatient now.
Thanks

 

[bwmichaud]

It's really a difference in body type. A cornish game hen from the store, while small, is still a plump bird. It's just a small plump bird with a large breast for it's size. A 14 week old DP roo will be mostly bone and leg. There will be breast meat but it will be minimal. You can tell how thin the breast will be while it's still alive and decide for yourself. If I were you, I'd throw that roo in the plucker to try it out and find out first hand. I'm impatient too.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The consumer has gotten quickly used to seeing the chicken portions of the CornishX. It is a recent, some say freakish, hybrid that produces breast meat in absurd proportions, so much so that the bird MUST be slaughtered at a very young age.

Your better DP birds will give a fine enough carcass at 16-20 weeks, but they'll never "look" like the CX. That's fine. Folks were enjoying the DP meat for centuries and still do today. Just gotta get past the comparison to something that the DP will never be, and shouldn't ever be. Kinda like a pork chop versus a beef T-Bone. One isn't necessarily better, they are just different.

 

[al6517]

There are almost no real dual purpose breeds available now a day's except if bought from good breeders. The hatchery folks want you to think they produce "Dual Purose" breeds but thats is far from true. If you don't mind the smaller boney type Hatchery bird for processing then you will satisfied with that.

Back in the day they had true dual purpose birds because the CornishX wasn't developed yet ( mid 50's ) and the birds were nice sized and layed well, that whole concept worked very well. Then in comes the Hatchery business and in order to survive they had to breed their birds to lay more so they could produce and sell more birds, hence the dilluting of all the true dual purpose breeds.

 

[Tracydr]

I'm so glad you explained that. I was wondering why hatchery DP birds weren't up to snuff, while their lighter breeds are often not so bad.